Narrative:

While flying en route to tallahassee, fl, my flight conditions were as follows: 9500 MSL, VFR on top and on center frequency for TA's. The frequency was too quiet so I called center and got no reply. I then detected a burning odor from the radio area of the instrument panel. I immediately shut off the master switch, generators, radio master number radio switches. I continued VFR on top as there was a broken/overcast sky condition. Approximately 2000 MSL, I picked up a highway and continued sward VFR as the smell went away. With the indication of a radio problem only, I reapplied ships power with the master switch and one generator at a time. Normal operation. I turned the radio master on, normal, and #2 VHF navigation/communication on, operations normal. I attempted to call center but no reply. I called on 122.8 for a radio check and talked to an small aircraft sel aircraft. Radio was 2x3. I turned the radio off as I was not going to use the navigation portion and possible long term use would cause a problem. I continued VFR and tried calling tlh 20 mi out. No reply. I continued VFR and flew over tlh airport at the arsa ceiling limit. I circled around the tower for 10-12 mins with 7600 on my transponder and calling the tower and ground control. During this time I observed one takeoff on 36 and one landing on 27. Again I got a very strong odor of burning insulation and a wisp of smoke coming from the radio rack. I shut off the radio master #2 VHF and transponder. I carefully checked for any traffic -- none -- and executed a spiral down to a short left downwind, base and final on 27. I turned on all landing lights and rotating beacon and rocked my wings strongly on the entire approach. I landed on 27 and made the first turnoff. I taxied to a line maintenance hangar and immediately called the tower chief. I asked to come up and explain the situation and he said 'all I want is your name and pilot certificate number.' I asked for a green light to taxi over to the tower/FBO area. He said ok. I went to the tower building but was refused entry. A supervisor came down. I introduced myself and attempted to explain my emergency. He said 'save it for the orlando FSDO.' I refueled the aircraft after determining the problem was isolated to the radio package (circuit breakers pulled and sws off) tower agreed to let me depart the airport/arsa via light signals but the destination forecast was bad, so I spent the night in tallahassee. The next morning I received permission from the tower chief, I believe, and departed on runway 36 by light signals. The flight was uneventful. I fully expected to have 2 way radio communications when arriving over tlh airport. If the burning insulation and smoke had not appeared, I would have departed for tlh north. I elected to make an emergency landing in case a fire broke out. At least tlh has fire equipment. It was not my intent to willfully enter an arsa illegally. I am a career pilot currently flying captain on widebody transport aircraft for air carrier and flight instructing multi and multi ATP. I exercised extreme caution entering the arsa/air traffic area. Aviation has been my life and I have 30 yrs of accident free and violation free hours of flight. It is not my desire to start now.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATP PLT OF A PVT SMA MEL ACFT LANDED AT AN ARSA ARPT WITHOUT CLRNC DUE TO SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT AND LOST COMS.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING ENRTE TO TALLAHASSEE, FL, MY FLT CONDITIONS WERE AS FOLLOWS: 9500 MSL, VFR ON TOP AND ON CTR FREQ FOR TA'S. THE FREQ WAS TOO QUIET SO I CALLED CTR AND GOT NO REPLY. I THEN DETECTED A BURNING ODOR FROM THE RADIO AREA OF THE INST PANEL. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF THE MASTER SWITCH, GENERATORS, RADIO MASTER NUMBER RADIO SWITCHES. I CONTINUED VFR ON TOP AS THERE WAS A BROKEN/OVCST SKY CONDITION. APPROX 2000 MSL, I PICKED UP A HWY AND CONTINUED SWARD VFR AS THE SMELL WENT AWAY. WITH THE INDICATION OF A RADIO PROBLEM ONLY, I REAPPLIED SHIPS PWR WITH THE MASTER SWITCH AND ONE GENERATOR AT A TIME. NORMAL OP. I TURNED THE RADIO MASTER ON, NORMAL, AND #2 VHF NAV/COM ON, OPS NORMAL. I ATTEMPTED TO CALL CTR BUT NO REPLY. I CALLED ON 122.8 FOR A RADIO CHK AND TALKED TO AN SMA SEL ACFT. RADIO WAS 2X3. I TURNED THE RADIO OFF AS I WAS NOT GOING TO USE THE NAV PORTION AND POSSIBLE LONG TERM USE WOULD CAUSE A PROBLEM. I CONTINUED VFR AND TRIED CALLING TLH 20 MI OUT. NO REPLY. I CONTINUED VFR AND FLEW OVER TLH ARPT AT THE ARSA CEILING LIMIT. I CIRCLED AROUND THE TWR FOR 10-12 MINS WITH 7600 ON MY TRANSPONDER AND CALLING THE TWR AND GND CTL. DURING THIS TIME I OBSERVED ONE TKOF ON 36 AND ONE LNDG ON 27. AGAIN I GOT A VERY STRONG ODOR OF BURNING INSULATION AND A WISP OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE RADIO RACK. I SHUT OFF THE RADIO MASTER #2 VHF AND TRANSPONDER. I CAREFULLY CHKED FOR ANY TFC -- NONE -- AND EXECUTED A SPIRAL DOWN TO A SHORT L DOWNWIND, BASE AND FINAL ON 27. I TURNED ON ALL LNDG LIGHTS AND ROTATING BEACON AND ROCKED MY WINGS STRONGLY ON THE ENTIRE APCH. I LANDED ON 27 AND MADE THE FIRST TURNOFF. I TAXIED TO A LINE MAINT HANGAR AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE TWR CHIEF. I ASKED TO COME UP AND EXPLAIN THE SITUATION AND HE SAID 'ALL I WANT IS YOUR NAME AND PLT CERTIFICATE NUMBER.' I ASKED FOR A GREEN LIGHT TO TAXI OVER TO THE TWR/FBO AREA. HE SAID OK. I WENT TO THE TWR BUILDING BUT WAS REFUSED ENTRY. A SUPVR CAME DOWN. I INTRODUCED MYSELF AND ATTEMPTED TO EXPLAIN MY EMER. HE SAID 'SAVE IT FOR THE ORLANDO FSDO.' I REFUELED THE ACFT AFTER DETERMINING THE PROBLEM WAS ISOLATED TO THE RADIO PACKAGE (CIRCUIT BREAKERS PULLED AND SWS OFF) TWR AGREED TO LET ME DEPART THE ARPT/ARSA VIA LIGHT SIGNALS BUT THE DEST FORECAST WAS BAD, SO I SPENT THE NIGHT IN TALLAHASSEE. THE NEXT MORNING I RECEIVED PERMISSION FROM THE TWR CHIEF, I BELIEVE, AND DEPARTED ON RWY 36 BY LIGHT SIGNALS. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. I FULLY EXPECTED TO HAVE 2 WAY RADIO COMS WHEN ARRIVING OVER TLH ARPT. IF THE BURNING INSULATION AND SMOKE HAD NOT APPEARED, I WOULD HAVE DEPARTED FOR TLH N. I ELECTED TO MAKE AN EMER LNDG IN CASE A FIRE BROKE OUT. AT LEAST TLH HAS FIRE EQUIP. IT WAS NOT MY INTENT TO WILLFULLY ENTER AN ARSA ILLEGALLY. I AM A CAREER PLT CURRENTLY FLYING CAPT ON WDB ACFT FOR ACR AND FLT INSTRUCTING MULTI AND MULTI ATP. I EXERCISED EXTREME CAUTION ENTERING THE ARSA/ATA. AVIATION HAS BEEN MY LIFE AND I HAVE 30 YRS OF ACCIDENT FREE AND VIOLATION FREE HRS OF FLT. IT IS NOT MY DESIRE TO START NOW.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.